Filed under: Etc., Green Daily, USA
NADAguides: America's interest in compact cars on the rise
NADAguides, a website that offers car prices and specifications for customers, has announced that compacts are stirring more interest in the U.S. of A than before. According to their figures, consumer interest in the compact segment increased by 96 percent between January and March 2008. This number is based on searches Americans are doing for compact cars.
NADAguides said that the rise is a direct consequence of the increase in gas prices. Between January and March, this jumped 19 cents, on average, nationwide. According to Don Christy, Jr., president and CEO of NADAguides.com, "In our opinion, car buyers are feeling the pinch at the pump and are researching more economical, fuel efficient vehicles as a result."
NADA divides the compact segment into three categories. Consumer interest in its mini-compact category increased 128 percent, while consumer interest in its sub-compact and compact categories increased 83 percent and 77 percent respectively. Five out of the twenty-five most researched cars on the site were compact cars. Among compacts, the models for which information research increased the most were the Mazda 3, Toyota Yaris, Honda Civic Sedan and Toyota Corolla.
[Source: NADAguides]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
lionel 3:04PM (4/08/2008)
Happy to see the USA market sells more compact and subcompact cars, it's a great new, better MPG of theses car saves gas ans it's better for the environement. Too bad the choice is not as big as the European market, like peugeot: they make great compact and subcompact cars, but they are not available for the moment. Watch this link if you want see one of the top sellings cars in Europe, the peugeot 207 SW :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdczfQwsh0E
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eddy 3:42PM (4/08/2008)
Hmm, i like the normal hatchback Peugeot 207 better than the ugly SW Station Wagon.
One market segment above the 207 the 308 is a a really cool car.
I wonder if PSA could use the weak dollar for long term investment in the US by building a factory in Northern America (like Alfa-Romeo does). With the market development at the moment they could easily introduce models like the Peugeot 207 and 308 series.
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Owen 8:11PM (4/08/2008)
Too bad more people don't put the Astra on thier list (which I hear is not selling well) Which is a much more efficient vehicle than the 3. Problem is that GM needs to tweak that Manual Tranny gearing to be a little more spread out, lower 1st, higher 5th and better spacing between. Problem is, it won't sell well, then GM will assume it's because americans don't like hatchbacks or small cars. Then they'll come out with some hideous beast which resembles the last ION. *Sigh* You ask 100 people at random what a Saturn Astra is, I'll be 99 people will have no idea. Bad marketing, good product though.
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